Ivy League Cancels Conference Tournament amid Coronavirus; Yale Gets NCAA Bid

Amid concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, the Ivy League has canceled its men's and women's basketball tournaments.

Per an official statement from the league, the decision to cancel the events was made with the "health of students as well as the campus and the general community in mind."

The league ruled that regular-season conference champions Yale (men) and Princeton (women) will receive automatic bids to the NCAA tournament.

Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris issued a statement:

“We understand and share the disappointment with student-athletes, coaches and fans who will not be able to participate in these tournaments. Regrettably, the information and recommendations presented to us from public health authorities and medical professionals have convinced us that this is the most prudent decision.”

The Ivy League tournament was scheduled to begin March 13 with the women's semifinals and run through March 15 with the men's championship at Lavietes Pavilion in Boston.

The decision to cancel the basketball tournament comes after Massachusetts state health officials announced the number of confirmed or presumptive coronavirus cases in the state increased from 28 on Sunday to 41 on Monday, per Melissa Buja and Marc Fortier of NBC Boston. 

The Ivy League was the last Division I conference to implement a tournament starting with the 2016-17 season. Prior to that, the automatic bid went to the league's regular-season champion. 

Yale (23-7, 11-3 in conference) will be making its second straight NCAA men's tournament appearance. Princeton (26-1, 14-0 in conference) will be in the NCAA women's tournament for the third consecutive year.